Madam of Maple Court (37 page)

She recognized his dismissal and left. Maybe, when he'd had time to digest all she'd told him, he'd come around.
Stop kidding yourself
, she told herself.
Not a chance
.

After twenty-four hours of worry, Pam got a call from Gary. "Nothing in Anna Hobart's background will do you any good, Pam. She's clean as the driven snow. A suburban housewife who sells real estate part time, takes good care of her kids, and is generally well liked in the community.

"I looked into the husband's life and it seems he's got several lady friends besides you. I could give you names, dates, and places, but suffice it to say he's not the upstanding husband he'd probably like his wife to think he is. If she ever wanted to divorce him, she's got grounds up the kazoo even without you."

It didn't surprise Pam that Chase had ladies on the side that she didn't know about. Why should she know about Chase's other women? It was really none of her business. She was bought and paid for. She wondered whether he paid any of the rest of them, asked any of them for the kind of kinky sex they shared.

Pam remembered his recent words, tossed off, but in such a way to make most women hope for things he never intended to supply. "How about let's run away together, or get married when I get my divorce?" he'd said just a few days before. She wondered whether he said those to his other women, too. Did any of them actually believe the words? Some probably did, but Chase was very married. Maybe not happily, but married and intending to stay that way. What a con man he was. "You did quite a job, Gary. Will she know someone's been looking into her background?"

"I'm too good for that," Gary said, sounding a bit more reasonable than he had the day before. "I've looked into you a bit, too, and from everything I could find out you're pretty clean yourself. There's nothing anywhere that could or should connect you to anything out of the ordinary. From public records you're a woman who organizes both business functions and parties for rich folks, with a high-maintenance house and lifestyle that you seem to be able to fund from your legitimate business."

Relief almost overwhelmed her. "You couldn't find anything more than that about me?"

"If I dig around a little more I could probably discover your other life, but it's pretty well hidden. Someone else poking around would have to know what he was looking for."

"That's reassuring," she said, slowly letting out a long breath.

"I meant it to be." She could hear his sigh. "I've been doing a lot of thinking. I haven't shared much of this with you, but I've been thinking about my future for several months. Pam, in general I'm a pretty lonely guy with two kids who fill a lot of my life, but don't fulfill my needs in other areas the way you do. I think I can understand why you got into the life in the first place, but your party-planning business seems to be well able to take care of you now that it's thriving. Pam, get out of the rest of it. Tell Marcy that you want out. Will she let you leave?"

"This isn't that kind of relationship," she sputtered, angry at his characterization. "You met her. Marcy isn't a pimp like the ones you see in the movies. It's not like that at all."

"Okay, okay. Let's not go there. Think about what I've said. Get out before it's too late."

It's already too late
, she thought. She enjoyed her life too much just the way it was. She pictured Gary, Melissa, and Amy. Her family. Gary seemed to be telling her that she could still have that life if she left Marcy now. Marcy would certainly understand but there were so many other issues, not the least of which was Linc.

Gary's voice interrupted her reverie. "The girls have come to love you and they'd hate it if you were no longer in my life. I would, too."

The girls. She loved them, too. If she gave it all up she could have the life she'd always wanted, a ready-made family. "Let's just let some time pass before we talk about any kind of future."

"That's a sound plan," he said. "Let's both take some time and see what develops. Gall me in a day or two, will you?"

"Of course."

She clicked off her cell phone, called Marcy, and relayed what Gary had told her. "I'm glad he couldn't find out anything about me in his cursory search. Maybe that means that Anna doesn't know any of the details about Chase and me."

"That's a comforting thought."

"Maybe I should stop seeing him."

"I think you really should. You could be honest with him and just tell him that you think your wife knows about us and might make trouble. How often do you usually see him?"

"Actually not too often, but recently he's been a bit more persistent."

"I know you'll take care of things, but if you need any help, I'm always here for you."

"Thanks, Marcy. I'm going to give you the greatest compliment I can give. You're the sanest person I know."

Her cell phone rang later that afternoon and she looked at the screen. Linc. He'd called her every day offering comfort and support, soft words of encouragement and deep caring.

"Hi, Linc." She outlined what Gary had found. "Here I am talking about Chase and Gary. I don't understand you, Linc. Why aren't you jealous?"

"I've often wondered that myself, where you're concerned, and this is the only answer I've come up with. I care a great deal about you and want you to be happy. I think your life as it is makes you happy. That's all I've figured out so far. I just know that I don't resent any of the men in your life. I'm merely glad to be there, too."

"Is it really that simple for you?"

"I've looked inside myself, something I don't do too often, and that's what I find. Simple? Not really. It just is. And, of course, since I'm anything but monogamous myself, I can't say anything anyway. I think I'm just like you, happy. Aren't you jealous of me with other women? After all I'm not so different from you."

From time to time he'd mentioned some entertaining he'd done for Marcy. "I never really think about what you do when we're not together." She listened to what she'd just said and let out a small laugh. "No, I don't mean it that way. I don't think about you and your job, and that's probably the way you think of me, too."

"I care about you. More than I'd like to, but not enough to rock the boat for either of us right now."

She considered, then said, "Me, too."

Nothing more happened for the next two weeks. At first Pam waited, tense every moment, trying to anticipate when the bomb would drop, but when it didn't, she began to think that maybe it would all blow over. When Chase called and told her he wanted to get together with her the following Tuesday, she couldn't help but ask, "Where's your wife going to be?"

"Anna's taking the kids to our lake house for a week, and anyway she's none of your concern," he snapped.

"Sorry, Chase."

"What's with you and my wife? You've never been so concerned about her before."

"I've had a few incidents, including a black SUV that cruised my block the last time you were here. I think she knows about us."

"Bullshit. She's not bright enough to have figured anything out."

"The license plate was HOBART3."

"That's her car. I'll give it all some thought, but please. At least one more visit. Anna's in the country with the kids, so she can't make trouble right now. And anyway, I can handle her."

"I don't know whether I can. I've got a lot to lose."

"Are you holding me up for more money? Isn't your fee enough for you? And in case you're thinking about talking to her about us, I won't pay you to keep your mouth shut, either."

"Hey. Slow down. Where did that come from?" Pam snapped.
He must be more worried about this than he's letting on
.

She heard his deep, long sigh. "I'm sorry. I was really stressed before, and now this. See why I need you?"

She had to stop seeing him. "I don't know whether I'm free that evening."

"Listen, Pam, forget what I said. I don't know where it came from. I need to be with you." He was almost whining. "Please. You're the only one who understands me and I'm feeling very needy."

Right. The only one, except your other girlfriends
. She wondered whether he'd just broken up with one of his other women, but she'd probably never know and it didn't matter anyway. She just knew that she needed to call it all off with him, without making him too angry. She let out a long sigh. Maybe she'd let him have one more visit and then make it clear to him in person that it was over. Resigned to one more meeting, she said, "Okay, Chase. What time?"

"Let's say seven. I'm looking forward to your hot tub and the kind of relaxation that only you can give me."

It was now mid-August and the sun was still above the horizon as Pam and Chase sat in the bubbling water. Several times she'd started to tell him that this was the last time, no matter how much he wanted her or was willing to pay, but each time she'd chickened out. She was good at so many interpersonal things, why not this? She'd have to develop a tougher hide.

The sudden crash was loud enough to penetrate the noise in the spa. "What the hell was that?" she said, climbing out of the water with Chase close behind. She grabbed her sundress from the bench and dropped it over her wet skin while Chase pulled on his jeans. Then the two of them headed toward the front of the house.

The scene that greeted them was chaotic. The back end of Chase's car, parked at the top of the driveway, was now joined with the front end of a black Lexus SUV. Pam knew immediately that it was Anna's. A woman tried to open the driver's side door but, since the vehicle was seriously crumpled, had to heave her shoulder against it and, with lots of screaming, straining metal, she pushed her way out. "You bastard!" she screamed. "I knew I'd find you here, or at Cheryl's or at Lynne's. You bastard! Bastard! Bastard!"

Chase's eyes widened. "You're at the lake house."

"You're such an arrogant fool," she yelled. "My lawyer suggested that I use a detective, but I've known about your little friends for months. You're not very discreet."

Chase stood frozen to the spot. "How… ?"

"The hows aren't important," she shrieked. "I know that you're a bastard with a bevy of girlfriends." Her gaze shifted to Pam and she glared. "At least this one's not bad looking. But she's short. I always thought you went for tall woman. Both Cheryl and Lynne are tall and really stacked."

"You've ruined both the cars," Chase said, as if ruining his marriage wasn't as important as his vehicles. "You're crazy."

"I might be crazy, but I'm not staying here to help sort this out." She pulled her cell phone from her pocket. "I'm calling a local cab and paying the driver whatever he wants to take me home. Don't come back. Let me know which of your lady friends you'll be staying with and I'll send some things there."

"Anna, wait. We need to talk about this."

Anna dialed her phone and gave Pam's address. "I'll pay you whatever you want to get me back to New Jersey. Can you do that?" She listened, then refolded the phone. "Lady," she said to Pam, "he'll be as free as a bird as soon as my lawyer makes the arrangements. But don't think there'll be any money. The kids and I will have it all. If you still want him, he's yours."

"But, Anna, what about the cars?"

"Have your little friend call a fucking tow truck."

The taxi pulled into Maple Court and Anna waved at it. Without another word she got inside and it drove away, leaving Chase with his mouth agape. "You'll need a cab, too," Pam said, unable to decide whether to laugh or cry. Anna knew nothing about her business. She merely thought Pam was one of Chase's girlfriends, and Chase wasn't going to enlighten her.

She was safe! It was over! While Pam called a taxi and arranged for two tow trucks, Chase quickly dressed and retrieved his belongings. Without another word, he walked down to the foot of the driveway, still in shock. Pam couldn't help but wonder whether he was more concerned about his marriage or his cars.

When the taxi arrived she heard the driver quip, "Had an accident?"

Chase growled something, got in, and the taxi took off.

Pam collapsed onto a lounge chair beside the pool with her cell phone. Her first call was to Marcy. She told her about the afternoon.